Washington, DC — "We are just at the beginning of what we can do," US Secretary of State Colin Powell told a packed ballroom at the Washington Hilton, where one of the oldest aid and development organizations working on Africa held its annual awards dinner, Tuesday evening. The event honored Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, Morehouse School of Medicine president and former US Health and Human Services Secretary.
In a warmly-received keynote speech, the first African-American Secretary of State told the largest African aid group run by African Americans, that the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), passed last year, is already creating thousands of African jobs. But Powell said that beyond AGOA, the administration of US President George W. Bush is working on many levels to enhance the potential of Africa's 800 million men and women.
Powell outlined a plan to lift Africa out of poverty over the next two decades by promoting high growth rates through trade and investment, by increased development aid, and by an aggressive effort to combat HIV/Aids that "is killing Africa's most precious resource - her beautiful people."
The secretary also challenged African politicians to respond to popular pressure by supporting "democracy, the rule of law and the end of corruption." Money, he warned, "is a coward," and will flee conflict, bad policies and instability.
The Secretary of State's appearance at the dinner, despite the pressures of the war in Afghanistan, was a measure of both his own interest in Africa and of the long work of Africare's President, C. Payne Lucas, to keep Africa's development needs on the agenda of political and business leaders.
In his closing remarks, Lucas joked that it would be a long time before another Secretary of State would be invited to give an Africare keynote address. "I had my own speech ready," he said, in case the secretary didn't show up.
But if he didn't get to give his speech, Lucas did make an impassioned plea, not only for Africa, but for a tolerant American society that exhibits its strength in the celebration of diversity.
Look around, he told the audience of black, white and brown Americans and many nationalities and ethnicities, including most of the African diplomatic corps: "This is what we should be."
